Maximizing Operational Productivity with MES in Industry 4.0

MES IN INDUSTRY 4.0
Enabling production agility, the top players in MES offer multiple benefits to producers and help them earn high ROIs. Read how the best MES in Industry 4.0 helps firms stay ahead of the curve.

Contents

1. Manufacturing Execution System: The Excellence Executor
2. MES and Industry 4.0: A Significant Convergence
3. Core Challenges and Solutions in MES Application
4. Top MES Players Boosting Production Excellence in Industry 4.0
5. Conclusion

1. Manufacturing Execution System: The Excellence Executor

The modern manufacturing world demands the incorporation of innovative systems that can efficiently streamline diverse production tasks through the product lifecycle and augment productivity, effectiveness, and overall performance. Correspondingly, a manufacturing execution system (MES) caters to the demands of the shifting manufacturing sector through impressive analytics, real-time data collection, control functionalities, and complete manufacturing process management, empowering businesses to thrive amid the burgeoning trend of data exchange and automation.

Essentially, an MES is an information management system that connects, manages, and oversees varied manufacturing processes. It gives stakeholders crucial insights into factory floor operations and empowers manufacturers to make intelligent decisions to minimize downtime and optimize profits. The MES in Industry 4.0 has indeed emerged as an excellence executor, promising the merits of advanced technology and facilitating the integration of smart manufacturing practices.

2. MES and Industry 4.0: A Significant Convergence

An MES acts as a digital support system for manufacturers, bridging the gap between physical manufacturing processes and digital insights. With the forward-looking MES in Industry 4.0, companies can effortlessly gather and analyze data in real time, ensuring judicious resource employment and greater adaptability to industrial changes.

The convergence of MES and Industry 4.0 is, therefore, highly monumental, as it empowers manufacturers and drives innovation with smart manufacturing. The system further enables businesses to leverage predictive analytics and real-time data insights, encouraging them to identify improvement zones, take corrective measures, and experiment with advanced technologies. This builds a culture of innovation and ensures a responsive manufacturing domain. Moreover, the top MES tools allow for enhanced customization, productivity, and viability, addressing the diverse needs of varied manufacturing businesses and promoting sustainability through waste minimization and improved resource utilization.

 

3. Core Challenges and Solutions in MES Application

The adoption of MES comes with its own set of hurdles, which manufacturing companies must keep in mind to ensure effective implementation and attain desired production goals. In this regard, the core challenges faced by companies in MES adoption include:
  • Difficulty in Integration with Pre-existing Systems

Integrating MES software with existing manufacturing systems, such as SCADA and ERP, is complex and time-intensive. This complexity is further heightened in factories that rely on legacy systems, necessitating meticulous planning and execution. 
  • Data Inconsistencies and Inaccuracies

Another prominent challenge in the MES integration would be the possibility of data scattering as the software collects data from diverse sources like sensors, machines, etc. A significant threat in this regard would also be the introduction of errors due to manual data entries and inaccurate data analyses because of inconsistencies in data units and formats across varied sources.
  • Complexity Owing to Extensive Customization

The unique demands of a manufacturing environment necessitate heavy customization of the MES software, leading to inflated implementation costs and deployment delays. Furthermore, scaling the MES to meet the expansion needs or more significant production volumes can take time and effort.
  • Issues of Ensuring Compliance with Industry Regulations

Manufacturing industries work within strict regulatory frameworks and are expected to meet industrial standards and requirements, like ISO standards for quality or general manufacturing. Therefore, the MES software must comply with these regulations. This notably requires thorough documentation and verification, adding to the time and cost of the software implementation.
  • Resistance from Employees

A significant challenge in the adoption of MES is opposition from the workforce. Employees familiar with their current workflows may hesitate to adopt new technology, showing apprehensions and active resistance to change and inducing disruptions in factory operations.
  • High Implementation Costs

Adopting MES software entails many expenses relating to hardware infrastructure, software licenses, customization, user training, and so on. Furthermore, budgeted costs may be exceeded due to integration difficulties or other unanticipated challenges, leading to delays and overspending.

Nonetheless, companies can benefit from MES software and maximize their operational efficiency with thorough planning. Some of the pioneering solutions that manufacturers can adopt to overcome the challenges mentioned above include: 

  • Middleware Solutions Ensuring Easy Integration

A carefully established strategy can ensure a smooth MES integration. Companies can achieve this goal through practical measures, such as collaborations with renowned MES vendors and IT teams and adopting flexible MES systems and APIs.
  • Maintaining Data Consistency through Effective Governance

Establishing robust data administration practices can help manufacturers secure homogeneity in data formats and units across different sources. Moreover, companies can maintain data accuracy and reliability with automated quality checks and necessary training on data entry standards. 
  • The Right Balance for Cost-effective Customization

To address the challenge of costly customization, manufacturers can further analyze the areas that require customization and those that don’t. Adopting a modular architecture can help incorporate modifications seamlessly without affecting core functionalities. Furthermore, companies can ensure optimized customization through close collaborations with MES vendors and experts.
  • Thorough Compliance with Industry Regulations

Companies can collaborate with regulatory experts to establish and design MES systems, including features such as audit trails, electronic signatures, and batch records, to ensure complete adherence to industrial standards and requirements. These features enable manufacturers to ensure transparency, accountability, and undeterred compliance with industry-specific standards.
  • Establishing a Culture of Learning for User Adoption

Resistance from employees remains a significant problem when implementing MES software. Companies can effectively meet this challenge by promoting a culture of continuous learning. With carefully structured user forums, guides, and training programs, businesses can instill the necessary skills and confidence in their employees, encouraging them to embrace change and new technologies without inhibitions.
  • Cost-benefit and Budget Evaluation for Favorable ROIs

With a thorough cost-benefit analysis, companies can make intelligent decisions regarding MES expenditure and select a system that promises high ROI. Additionally, incorporating an emergency fund for unanticipated expenses into the budget and reviewing the spending plans can help avoid cost overruns.


4. Top MES Players Boosting Production Excellence in Industry-4.0

As augmenters of quality management, the top players in MES help businesses streamline their core production operations and achieve peak financial gains.

Here’s a list of the leading MES software providers that render an unparalleled competitive edge to companies:

4.1 MasterControl

MasterControl_Logo

Meeting the demands of Industry 4.0, MasterControl is a leading cloud-based quality and manufacturing software provider that focuses on curtailing expenditures, augmenting product quality, and streamlining production processes. The company’s striking MES fulfills regulations related to varied industries, especially life sciences. From ensuring paperless operations on the plant floor to limiting deviations and post-production review times, MasterControl renders multiple benefits to manufacturers, driving business success.

Importantly, with an impressive array of features like electronic batch and device history records, equipment calibration, and advanced analytics, MasterControl allows unmatched control and visibility into manufacturing processes and ensures regulatory compliance while optimizing production tasks. Moreover, from providing high data accuracy through electronic logbooks to minimizing downtime and facilitating informed decision-making, the company offers a true competitive advantage to businesses, enhancing their efficiency and ROI.


4.2 L2L

L2L_Logo

L2L, or Leading2Lean, provides impressive plant and production management solutions to manufacturers and induces powerful collaborations among workers across various modules, viz. L2L Dispatch, L2L Production, L2L Maintenance, L2L Connect, and L2L Studio. These modules aim to augment businesses' operational productivity. From rendering real-time visibility of floor operations to streamlining machine connectivity for quicker data access, L2L focuses on improving manufacturing tasks and reducing worker obstacles.

With more than 225,000 users worldwide, L2L's platform makes production plants more proficient and cost-effective. Furthermore, operating 24/7, L2L remains committed to offering plant managers unmatched insights into floor operations, allowing easy and quick resolution of manufacturing problems. Significantly, the MES provider leverages the L2L Dispatch module for handling disruptions, L2L Production for optimizing manufacturing processes, L2L Maintenance for limiting downtime, L2L Studio for strengthening workers with tailored apps, and L2L Connect for gathering and evaluating machine data, providing comprehensive solutions for continual growth to manufacturing businesses.


4.3 Aegis Software

Aegis_Logo

Established in 1997, Aegis Software offers advanced software solutions to manufacturing firms through intelligence, automation, and connectivity. Being at the forefront of Industry 4.0 transformation, the company serves various industries, including automotive, military, medical, aerospace, and electronics. Through its prime offering, FactoryLogix, Aegis Software effectively augments operational speed and productivity, reducing manual data entry and assembly correction time.

The company’s adaptable and modular MES, FactoryLogix, is built on an IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) backbone. It streamlines and accelerates production processes, curtailing costs and conforming to industrial regulations and standards. It further offers real-time operational visibility and empowers businesses to adapt to customer demands promptly. With IIoT connectivity and AR capabilities, FactoryLogix adds context to data, enabling intelligent decision-making and augmenting floor instructions.


4.4 Tulip Interfaces

Tulip_Logo

Tulip Interfaces is a prominent software provider leading frontline operations and tackling businesses’ operational challenges associated with productivity augmentation, error-proofing, and real-time data evaluation. The company focuses on empowering workforces worldwide through connected apps, enhancing their efficiency and allowing complete traceability across operations.

Significantly, with a striking suite of solutions, Tulip Interfaces ensures error-free task execution through digital guidance and curtails costs through quality control measures. Furthermore, by providing digital records of all manufacturing activities, the software provider makes for regulatory compliance, allowing high traceability and operational efficiency. Also, through notable integration with machine learning, the forward-looking software provider helps operators detect flaws, reducing associated costs and work delays and promising increased revenues.


4.5 Fulcrum

Fulcrum_Logo

Promising a manufacturing SaaS platform to small and mid-sized companies, Fulcrum is an innovative manufacturing software provider that replaces traditional MRP, ERP, and CRM systems. It boasts a completely digital, paper-free workflow and stays committed to enhancing activities of all manufacturing stages, from job quoting to product shipping. It augments throughput and ROI, leveraging predictive analytics, machine learning, and advanced heuristics, and further aims to reduce employees’ operational stress.

Fulcrum’s manufacturing software stands out with striking features like limitless user pricing, compliance with ITAR, and readiness for CMMC 2.0. It enables intelligent decision-making through live data connectivity and effortlessly integrates into production processes and adaptive technology, meeting the changing manufacturing needs and exemplifying a revolutionary integrated manufacturing software.

 

4.6 Katana

Katana_Logo

Katana is a leading cloud-based software provider that aims to help both offline and online manufacturing companies manage their inventory and production processes. With an intelligent auto-booking engine, Katana’s software optimizes workflows and enables manufacturers to meet production deadlines effectively. It further automates routine tasks and renders real-time insights into businesses’ daily operations, ensuring well-informed decisions and enhanced performance.

The platform provider offers tools for complete inventory control and traceability, as well as data analysis capabilities for detailed oversight. It also optimizes manufacturing operations based on bills of materials and streamlines sales order handling, supporting multi-currency transactions, omnichannel integration, and partial shipping. Furthermore, it allows for cloud accounting integration and promises warehouse management tools, minimizing errors and augmenting overall productivity.


4.7 iBase-t

iBaseT_Logo

Founded in 1986, iBase-t is a forward-looking company providing tailored software and consulting solutions to manufacturing firms. The company specifically endeavors to enhance the operational efficiency of diverse industries, such as defense, electronics, medical, aerospace, and shipbuilding, offering solutions like manufacturing execution systems, supplier quality management, enterprise quality management systems, and manufacturing intelligence (MI).

Implementing Industry 4.0 strategies, the company affords unmatched precision in manufacturing operations, enabling manufacturers to quickly acclimate to changing industry trends and demands. The company’s Solumina platform correspondingly comes with an impressive suite of solutions. This includes an innovative MES that effortlessly integrates with Industry 4.0 technologies and provides real-time data insights to businesses. Furthermore, add-ons like MI bring advancements and proficiency in manufacturing.


4.8 Parsec Automation Corp

Parsec_Logo

From optimizing production processes to enhancing visibility and control, Parsec Automation Corp provides pioneering solutions that improve safety and productivity in manufacturing operations across different sectors, such as packaged goods, automotive, and pharmaceuticals. Through its leading MES platform, TrakSYS, the company equips manufacturers with promising tools and real-time data insights for optimized production and sound decision-making.

Prominently, the company’s innovative MES platform allows manufacturers to leverage pre-defined solutions to meet common challenges associated with inventory management, compliance, OEE, and SPC. The platform further integrates with systems like PLC, SCADA, ERP, and IoT and boasts batch management and traceability tools, enabling manufacturing companies to improve product quality, compliance, and operational efficiency. 


4.9 Bright Machines

Bright Machines_Logo

Bright Machines is a front-running software and robotics company that provides wide-ranging automation solutions to manufacturing firms. As a dedicated solutions provider, the company focuses on adaptable automated assembly and AI hardware frameworks to increase manufacturing agility. It further refines product design by leveraging machine learning, software applications, and computer vision.

From enabling flexible manufacturing of diverse product types on the same line to offering intelligent software-enabled capabilities, Bright Machines allows companies to enhance their operational efficiency. The company further enables prompt flaw monitoring and modifiable data tracking, encouraging businesses to focus on the most crucial data for their operations. The software provider notably delivers intelligent software-enabled functionalities, such as ML-driven visual inspection and 3D navigation, guaranteeing precision and continual monitoring during the assembly process.


4.10 Caliber

Caliber_Logo

Centering on quality management solutions, Caliber caters to prominent companies across varied industries, such as pharmaceutical manufacturing, petrochemicals, research and drug development, etc. The company delivers influential solutions to manufacturers through its impressive portfolio, ensuring productivity, compliance, and automation in production processes.

Through its striking array of solutions, the company promises augmented quality management processes that guarantee enhanced ROI and customer satisfaction. Furthermore, its CaliberBRM solution mechanizes production records, ensuring paperless operations and compliance with GMP and 21 CFR Part 11. The company also renders real-time data insights through CaliberDashboards for prudent decision-making, streamlining tasks, and achieving excellence.


5. Conclusion

Manufacturing execution systems usher in enhanced operational productivity and further ensure regulatory compliance. Yet, businesses must build meticulous plans for MES implementation to successfully overcome the unique challenges of adopting the software, guaranteeing a promising transition to more innovative production practices. Notably, the future trends in MES in Industry 4.0 will see an increase in the incorporation of AI and IoT. Furthermore, an emphasis on blockchain integration and the adoption of handheld AR devices will be placed with a focus on improving transparency, training, and quality control operations. MES platforms will also remain pivotal in ensuring data security and sustainability, promoting companies’ green initiatives. Overall, the future of MES would witness the system’s continual customization to meet the requirements of Industry 4.0, enabling companies to stay ahead in the competitive business world.

Spotlight

ARRK Product Development Group

ARRK is one of the world’s largest product development specialists. ARRK’s origins date back to 1948 in Osaka, Japan and it’s evolution into a global leader of product development. Over time the business has grown through a process of acquisitions and mergers resulting in an organization today that has companies strategically located around the world.

OTHER ARTICLES
IoT

Industrial IoT Business Guide: Concept, Application, Challenges, and Solutions

Article | March 1, 2022

Industrial IoT (IIoT) is an abbreviation for the Industrial Internet of Things, originally defined as the Internet of Things (IoT). It is utilized across industries, including manufacturing, and shows great positive results, supporting overall business growth. According to Grand View Research, globally, the industrial internet of things market size was worth around $216.13 billion in 2020 and is predicted to reach over $1.1 trillion by 2028. Is IIoT similar to IoT? The answer is yes. “If you think internet has changed your life, think again. The internet of things is about to change it all over again.” – Brendan O’Brien Like the Internet of Things, the Industrial IoT has multiple use cases and applications. Additionally, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) opens up new opportunities in multiple areas. Some of the industrial internet of things examples are as follows: The Internet of Things industrial automation and optimization Intelligent manufacturing and smart industries Asset performance management and industrial control Moving towards an on-demand service model New ways of servicing customers New revenue streams Internet of Things Industrial Applications According to IDC, manufacturing operations are the primary use case for the IoT in manufacturing. In this article, we'll look at five particular IIOT applications in manufacturing operations, production asset management, and field services that are driving Industrial IoT adoption in manufacturing. Production Visibility Industrial IoT can link machines, tools, and sensors on the shop floor, providing much-needed visibility into production for process engineers and management. For instance, businesses may use sensors like RFID and break beams to track components as they travel through assembly automatically. Additionally, industrial IoT apps may provide supervisors and plant managers with a real-time picture of their teams' yield by linking operators’ tools and production equipment. Organizations may utilize this degree of visibility to detect bottlenecks, determine the main cause of issues, and improve more rapidly. Dashboards for real-time IIoT production visibility can help businesses find problems and track productivity in real-time. Continuous Monitoring for Quality Improvement Environmental sensors continuously monitor necessary quality conditions and notify management when crucial quality thresholds exceed permissible limits. For instance, temperature control is crucial to pharmaceutical manufacturing. By utilizing IoT-connected sensors, managers may monitor temperature and humidity and receive quick alerts if they deviate from expected values. Continuous monitoring, similar to machine monitoring, can help you keep an eye on your assets in real-time. Maximize Machine Use The Industrial Internet of Things enables businesses to link their machinery to the internet. This technology enables organizations to monitor their machines in real-time while also tracking critical KPIs such as overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and overall process effectiveness (OPE). By monitoring these indicators, businesses may discover and resolve sources of unscheduled downtime, perform preventive maintenance on their equipment, and maximize machine used throughout the operation. According to a recent McKinsey article, sensor data used to forecast equipment failure in production may reduce maintenance costs by up to 40% and unscheduled downtime by half. So, by applying IIoT, you may monitor the key performance indicators (KPIs) that are most important to you. Improve Plant Management Using sensors in production plants may enhance their management and minimize the operating expenses of a plant. For example, by employing sensors such as RFID tags to monitor facilities, manufacturers may gather insights to help them optimize space consumption. Using IoT-enabled sensors to monitor environmental factors like temperature, humidity, and others may also help firms better manage their buildings. Finally, businesses can save energy, cut costs, and improve operational efficiency by keeping an eye on their machines and making sure they are running in the right conditions. Optimize Supply Chain Management The Internet of Things enables sensors to monitor events across a supply chain, delivering real-time data by tracking inputs, equipment, and products. RFID tags and other sensors can track inventories throughout the supply chain. This gives businesses a better understanding of their inventory and more realistic deadlines for material availability, work in progress, and others. Organizations may use this data to detect interdependencies, map material flow, and monitor production cycle durations. This data aids businesses in predicting risks. It also lowers inventory levels and, perhaps, capital requirements. No code tables hold all of your inventory data. Tables are automatically updated as inventory is consumed during operations. Industrial Internet of Things vs Internet of Things (IIoT Vs IoT) IIoT IoT It is geared for industrial applications such as manufacturing, power generation, and oil and gas. It focuses on a broad range of applications, from wearables to robotics and machinery. To avoid life-threatening or other emergency circumstances, it employs crucial equipment and gadgets connected through a network that requires precise sensors. Its deployment begins on a modest scale, eliminating the possibility of life-threatening scenarios. It deals with extensive networks. It deals with modest networks. It is capable of processing data ranging from mild to high. It is capable of processing enormous amounts of data. It is highly reliable. It is less reliable. IIoT Adoption Challenges & Solutions Investment Costs Significant investment expenses are necessary to transform operations, including hardware, software, and human capital. Businesses frequently view IIoT as a giant leap ahead, resulting in a massive bill. A more effective strategy is to break the projects down into bite-sized implementations with set milestones. This will pave the way for outcome-driven success that can be quantified by top-tier management, resulting in a more passionate reaction and maybe a larger scale resource limitation. Additionally, expenses can be reduced by utilizing public infrastructure and software-as-a-service rather than custom-built installations. While the cost of IoT continues to decline, numerous organizations' executives are playing the waiting game. This strategy may be good for the short term, but if you wait for prices to go down for a long time, you ccoul lose your competitive advantage and let other people get a better deal. Data Security It's easy to get paranoid about the attacks and problems because of all the news about cyber security. One must address these security concerns methodically and recognize measures to secure critical industrial information. Depending on the level of sensitivity, data can be checked and encrypted using a variety of one-way interactions. SCADA systems do not have to combine and act on sensor data; they can be digitally segregated. Additionally, the cloud infrastructure might be networked inside to create a "private" or corporate cloud with no external access. These security challenges can be surmounted if the advantages of the IIoT outweigh the hazards. Lack of Skilled Professionals While it is true that the digital world is rapidly merging with the industrial world, the issue remains as to who in the organization can take charge. An individual or team must bridge the IT and OT cultures and meet opposing demands. The program requires a blended IT/OT viewpoint to achieve IIoT goals while increasing operational complexity and responsibilities. There are several data science certifications, online courses, and conferences available to educate middle management. Start growing competency while making learning and education a management team KPI. Consider partnering with institutions and educational vendors. The executive team's appetite for knowledge must be continual. Learning will be viewed as a lifetime process requiring dynamic stability and continual mobility. A shortage of competent personnel was also stated in the Morgan Stanley-Automation World Industrial Automation Survey, with 24% of respondents citing a labor shortage. There is a general shortage of highly specialized talents, but it may also be necessary to look 'outside' to get the essential skills. If there is one thing that is certain in this age of digital transformation and the Industrial Internet of Things, it is that no organization can flourish entirely on its own and that networks, ecosystems, and platforms of partners are critical to success. Final Words Starting an IIoT project should be done with a straightforward and practical approach. This is not a big company-changing initiative, but a series of small projects or digital test beds that might raise sales, profits, or customer retention. Read our latest industrial internet of things infographic for quick tips on tackling IIoT adoption issues. FAQ What are IIoT devices? IIoT refers to linked sensors, instruments, and other devices networked with industrial applications like manufacturing and energy management. What is an IIoT platform? Gartner describes IIoT platforms as a collection of integrated software capabilities. The platform is designed to support industrial assets and their operational environments in safety, security, and mission criticality. What is the IoE? The Internet of Everything (IoE) is a concept that builds on the Internet of Things (IoT). It focuses on machine-to-machine (M2M) connections to represent a more complicated system that includes people and processes.

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Manufacturing Technology

How Manufacturing Digitalization Benefits Businesses in 2022

Article | December 14, 2021

The manufacturing industry has evolved to new heights of innovation, productivity, and excellence with digital transformation. Manufacturing digitalization has made operational procedures more skilled, accurate, and time-savvy. “Many companies simply are not willing to change or think they are done once they make a change. But the truth is technology; consumer demands, the way we work, human needs and much more are constantly changing.” Michael Walton, Director, Industry Executive (Manufacturing) at Microsoft With a CAGR of 19.48 percent between 2021 and 2026, the digital transformation in the manufacturing market is expected to reach USD 263.93 billion by 2026. Manufacturing plants adopt digital technology to improve, automate, and modernize processes as part of Industry 4.0. So, what are the key benefits of digitalization for manufacturers? This article will elaborate on the top five benefits of digital manufacturing transformation. How to Define Digital Manufacturing? Manufacturing digital transformation involves integrating digital technologies into processes and products to improve manufacturing efficiency and quality. Manufacturing's digital transformation aims to increase operational efficiency and reduce expenses. The digital transformation techniques ensure product quality. It also makes work more efficient, safe, and stress-free. What Is Included in Manufacturing Digitization (Industry 4.0)? Industry 4.0 is the digitalization of manufacturing. Cyber-physical systems, IoT, and cloud computing are current trends in manufacturing automation and data exchange. Connected devices, cloud computing power, and the modern emphasis of lean, efficient operations enable Industry 4.0 to construct advanced and innovative smart factories. Industry 4.0 includes design, sales, inventories, scheduling, quality, engineering, customer and field service. Five Benefits of Digital Transformation in Manufacturing Manufacturing organizations can benefit from digitalization in a variety of ways. It can help make the work more efficient, decentralized, and secure. It further creates new business opportunities and attracts new talent to the industry. Additionally, integrating products into a digital ecosystem increases their value and appeal. Let’s dig deeper into each of the five key benefits. Reduces Costs Technology is an invaluable companion in reducing the manufacturing company's expenses in the future. The incorporation of digital technology results in the transformation of procedures and the digitization of documents, resulting in overall process optimization. Therefore, a reduction in labor costs might be expected as a result of the elimination of unnecessary expenditures. Additionally, digitization enables businesses to assess and estimate expenses considerably more precisely, ensuring that budgets stay on track. Additionally, it eliminates andsubstitutes inefficient jobs within processes, significantly increasing their efficiency. This efficiency is translated into time savings, which results in a substantially more cost-effective manufacturing process. Decentralized Production Manufacturing digital transformation allows organizations to supervise manufacturing remotely, allowing production to continue uninterrupted. In rare cases like Covid-19, digitalized businesses have not had to cease or even slow down production. These systems can work without interruptions for much longer than any worker. Digitalization also boosts methodology flexibility and reactivity. For example, if a production plant has a problem, an automatic alert is generated, and the issue is resolved regardless of the day, time, or presence. Improved Operational Efficiency Smart product connectivity allows devices to connect and communicate with each other (M2M). This connectivity enables decentralized decision-making. Many duties no longer require an employee to be physically present. New manufacturing and production models minimize boring, risky activities while increasing accuracy, efficiency, and responsiveness. Transforming businesses through digital means making better decisions based on real-time data. Training, changes, and repairs are no longer issues due to reduced frequency and automation. New Business Opportunities New digital technologies enable the manufacture of previously unviable products and services, generating new revenue streams. Also, new services (innovation or reorientation) are launched considerably faster. Companies may utilize big data and AI to experiment, anticipate trends, and predict about new advancements. These technologies can help organizations become more eco-friendly and create products that are less detrimental to our environment. Attracts New Talent Professionals with fundamental talents in this complicated and disruptive environment are drawn to digitalizedorganizations that are up-to-date with trends and processes. Also, if the change is managed well, it will lead to higher profitability, increasing employee satisfaction. Human motivation, along with excellent digital technologies, will reflect in the company's production and profitability. Dusseldorf@Germany: The Deloitte Digital Factory The digital factory in Dusseldorf provides a flexible setting for innovative workshops and training, bringing together the old and new worlds of supply chain and industrial operations to provide a seamless experience. Specific use case examples, as well as the digital solutions sector, will motivate and encourage businesses to get on their digital transformation journeys, making use of the most up-to-date technologies in the process. Final Words Manufacturing digitalization has a lot to offer the industry, and many manufacturers are capitalizing on this new phase of the industrial revolution by incorporating cutting-edge technologies into manufacturing and business operations. As said previously, the benefits of digital transformation in the manufacturing business are increasing the importance of digitalization in the industry. Transform your traditional manufacturing operating processes with these new manufacturing trends and observe the results that other benefitting manufacturing businesses have achieved. FAQ Why is digitalization vital in manufacturing? Manufacturing process digitization improves overall business performance. But the results are seen across the factory. Digital transformation improves working conditions for employees and streamlines daily operations. How are digitization and digitalization different? Digitalization is a transformation of data and processes. Digitalization is the use of digital technologies to collect data, identify patterns, and make better business decisions. How digital technologies are applied in manufacturing? Digital manufacturing technologies enable the integration of systems and processes across all stages of production, from design to production and beyond.

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Manufacturing Technology

5 Stats to Reshape Manufacturing Customer Experience in 2022

Article | November 20, 2021

The manufacturing business has always prioritized providing the excellent and most user-friendly products worldwide to its target consumer groups. However, digitalization and customer interaction approaches have altered the manufacturing industry's traditional business model. Now, manufacturers must prioritize improving the customer experience for their target consumer group and keeping up with new trends daily to flourish and remain competitive in the upgrading market. Because, in the end, the buyer is the one who drives your business and generates money. Manufacturers are committing significant efforts to improve the customer experience in the following years. To assist manufacturers in their sincere efforts to improve the customer experience in the manufacturing industry, we have compiled some key facts that must be understood and executed by the industry's or business-specific needs. Before going into manufacturing customer experience statistics, it's essential to understand why customer experience is so critical in the manufacturing industry. The Importance of Customer Experience in Manufacturing Customer service and experience are critical components of any business, which is true in the manufacturing sector. Customer experience can be described as any activity taken by a business to positively influence a customer's impression and opinion of the business, its products, or services. “You’ve got to start with the Customer Experience and work back toward the technology, not the other way around” – Steve Jobs. Customer experience benefits your business in a variety of ways, including the following, It increases customer retention It increases the customer lifetime value It creates brand loyalty It influences brand reputability It can deliver businesses with a competitive edge. Manufacturing Customer Experience Statistics Make your manufacturing business more customer-centric and reap the benefits that many customer-centric companies, such as Apple, Nissan, and Chick-fil-A, are experiencing. To better understand what the customer and industry have explored regarding the customer experience in 2022, below are some statistics from well-known businesses. #Stat 1 Businesses that prioritize customer experience see an 80% increase in revenue. (Source: Forbes) A positive customer experience increases customer interest in the product and acts as a form of word-of-mouth marketing. This way, the business benefits from increased sales and organic promotion by genuine consumers, critical for any manufacturing organization. # Stat 2 73% of customers say that customer experience influences their purchasing decision. (Source: PWC) Customers are not solely concerned with the product's quality or pricing. Instead, they are interested in the complete experience they get while purchasing a product. Therefore, if customers have a negative experience during the purchasing trip, it is pretty likely that they will leave the purchase process in the middle and hunt for other viable solutions on the market. Whereas, if the purchasing journey and post-purchase service are satisfactory, they will gladly purchase the goods and suggest new clients to your business. # Stat 3 By 2023, AI and machine learning will manage around 40% of all consumer contacts. (Source: Super Office) Manufacturing production and revenue are increasing as a result of technological advances and applications. However, the customer experience is not far behind in implementing cutting-edge technology like AI, VR, and AR. For instance, chat bots are the best example of how artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and machine learning are being used to increase consumer engagement. Virtual interaction is becoming more prevalent in the manufacturing industry daily, and both manufacturers and customers like this digital interaction. “Our interactions with our customers have become much more virtual, which frankly seems to work well for the customer and us.” -Scott Heide, Chief Executive Officer at Engineering Intent Corporation Technology application in manufacturing will be maximized, and businesses intend to automate the customer experience by 2023. # Stat 4 According to 70% of customers, an ideal customer experience should be quick, convenient, and cooperative, as well as friendly. (Source: Adobe) Customer service is a skill, and it's always a good idea to put yourself in your clients' shoes. According to an Adobe study, 70% of customers want a quick and convenient service that saves them time. In addition, they anticipate full collaboration throughout the purchasing process, including post-purchase servicing. # Stat 5 72% of customers with a good consumer experience will tell six or more people about it. (Source: Nice Reply) In the first statistic, we discussed word-of-mouth marketing. You will always receive referrals for the excellent products or services you provide to your target consumer group. Customers that have a positive experience will always bring you two additional potential customers, and this number will grow exponentially with each pleasant experience delivered by your organization. How did MacDonald's plan to increase revenue simply by improving the customer experience? When McDonald's revenues started to decline, they focused on the customer experience rather than marketing strategies. They began by listening to their clients and giving them a more streamlined experience. Customers told McDonald's to simplify the menu, increase order accuracy, and use higher-quality ingredients. McDonald's also improved store interiors and introduced digital self-order kiosks and table service, reducing customer wait times. BTIG predicted a 4.1% increase in revenues as these modifications were made. As a result, McDonald's may outperform competitors by improving total customer service. Final Words Customer experience is crucial in manufacturing, and manufacturers must leverage digital customer experience trends to improve their reputation. These a fore mentioned customer experience statistics can assist you in shaping a compelling client experience for 2022 and propelling your organization to new heights of success. FAQ Why should a manufacturing company invest in customer experience? Client experience improves customer retention, builds brand reputation, and gives companies a competitive edge. So manufacturers must invest in the consumer experience. What is the difference between customer service and customer experience? Customer service is one aspect of the customer journey, whereas consumer experience is the sum of all customer encounters with the brand. What does a customer experience include? Customer experience is the overall perception of your business or brand. It is the consequence of a customer's engagement with your website, customer service, and the product they purchase. So, it is the aggregate of all elements from browsing to buying to the product experience. { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [{ "@type": "Question", "name": "Why should a manufacturing company invest in customer experience?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Client experience improves customer retention, builds brand reputation, and gives companies a competitive edge. So manufacturers must invest in the consumer experience." } },{ "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the difference between customer service and customer experience?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Customer service is one aspect of the customer journey, whereas consumer experience is the sum of all customer encounters with the brand." } },{ "@type": "Question", "name": "What does a customer experience include?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Customer experience is the overall perception of your business or brand. It is the consequence of a customer's engagement with your website, customer service, and the product they purchase. So, it is the aggregate of all elements from browsing to buying to the product experience." } }] }

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6 Social Media Channels For Manufacturing Marketers

Article | March 12, 2021

Did you know that social media platforms and their users are the fastest-growing internet segment? If your manufacturing firm wants to be more visible online and reach more customers, it may be time to engage in social media marketing. It helps in building networking which is the crucial pillar of any business. Many marketing leaders understand the importance of networking. “It’s important to take time to build your network and nurture your contacts as you never know where a good network can take you and the opportunities it can give.” – Wendy Lee, Director of Marketing at Blue Prism If your manufacturing company needs to be more visible online and attract more customers, it's time to engage in social media marketing. You may require time to learn new approaches from the digital marketing landscape. But it is necessary to grow with this digitally running world. Many industrial production brands and organizations are now significantly reliant on social media platforms to continue their marketing efforts in the forthcoming years. Social Media for Manufacturers—How to Get the Benefits? Trends are popular with marketers. But reaching audiences via social media is difficult for manufacturers. But, when done intelligently, it is worthwhile. As a result, manufacturers may use social media to promote content and generate leads. Social media helps build brand recognition and manage reputation. As a result, many manufacturing brands are getting more innovative. Consumers have already influenced some businesses' usage of social media. As companies and customers change, so do social media platforms. Every day, the platforms evolve to suit the ever-increasing customer expectations. If your company hasn't yet leveraged the power of social networking, this article will help you reap the rewards. LinkedIn Even though Facebook and Twitter are the top noted social media platforms for manufacturers, LinkedIn provides more value for B2B marketing. LinkedIn boasts of more than 500 million active users monthly. This is because LinkedIn has a strict network for professionals. An estimated 90 million users are senior-level influencers, and approximately 63 million are at decision-maker positions. Therefore, manufacturing marketers need to have a strong presence on LinkedIn in today's time. Given that marketing professionals frequently turn to LinkedIn to consume articles and news related to the industry, being active on this platform can be the best way to get your company noticed. When it comes to ' 'LinkedIn's lead generation capabilities, promoting content is only the tip of the iceberg. To achieve core results, you should encourage your team to maintain a constant LinkedIn presence. But why? Firstly, employee-shared content has a high click-through rate than content shared by any third-party. Secondly, long-form content published as a native LinkedIn article is particularly effective. It is considered a good practice. So, if your LinkedIn profile is thoughtfully optimized, it can increase your chances of ranking high in a Google search, search visibility and improve brand awareness. Twitter Twitter's popularity has made it the most influential platform. This social media platform for manufacturing businesses can be a good start to build an effective social presence. Research says that monthly more than 330 million active users spend time on Twitter irrespective of the industry or niche from all over the world. As a manufacturing marketer, sharing content can be valuable on Twitter. If your company has a blog or content related to industry facts/news, Twitter can promote your articles broadly to the right audience. The hashtag culture of Twitter will take you to the audience who are searching for manufacturing-related information. And hence, your company could be the one out of millions to be approached. Though Twitter isn't exactly the best channel for generating leads, it positively has an audience ripe for content consumption and industry news. Nearly 70% of B2B organizations are using Twitter as a digital marketing tool. Its ad views are 26% more likely to be influential versus others. Besides this, Twitter engages highly in short but meaningful conversations. This way, a consistent sharing of industry content can cultivate your company's offering to millions at once. YouTube B2B marketers often are mistaken and overlook YouTube as a viable social media channel. They consider YouTube as one of the most underrated and unutilized platforms. But the fact is that social media for manufacturers, like YouTube, can be preferred fruitful platform for their businesses. Yes, it does entail some extra work, knowledge, and equipment to create an excellent filmed and edited video for YouTube. However, many manufacturers don't realize how helpful these videos can be when it comes to landing a potential customer or generating leads. All these can be done inexpensively. In the manufacturing industry, businesses often spend dollars on a single purchase. And this is because they want to know every detail of product or service every time. So, rather than just spreading the word about your company, a video creation can get more eyeballs and massive engagement for your customers for which they are searching solutions. From product demonstrations to virtual facility and more can be easily achievable. This way, YouTube can be beneficial to generate more leads and convert them into your customers. Besides, YouTube's search engine optimization can even maximize the effectiveness of your social media plans. From creating headlines, file names, tags to descriptions, and target keywords, all can be used to grab the top position in search rankings and raise visibility on the web. Most importantly, YouTube is also most popular for its "How-To" videos that are easily consumed. Audiences find a video to be more trustworthy than other content formats. Many manufacturers have gained huge success by using YouTube to combine product announcements with information, product display, promotional ads, and more. So, this social media for companies can help increase brand awareness and create transparency, leading to brand trust. Facebook Facebook, being the most populous social network globally, boasts of 1.5 billion monthly active users. Facebook is typically considered a primary social network, where companies consider creating a profile without a second thought. But this doesn't fit the manufacturing industry for generating valuable leads. It is because Facebook has audiences who use the platform for personal purposes. So, chances are slim for B2B prospects that are doing business research on this platform. But, before you rule out Facebook completely, remember that you can use this platform for other purposes. While this platform may not be doing extensive research for your company, yet many customers and industry professionals would still 'like' your company page to stay updated on the latest events, company news, and more like: • Company and building expansions • Local and national media mentions • Blog/article links • Video links • Clients' testimonials on events and business proposals With Facebook, you have the opportunity to show the "human" side of your organization and make connections. This can be one of the social media marketing tactics you can use for promoting your manufacturing company. Also, you can consider using Facebook Groups to expand your circle of professional connections. These online communities are built to bring audiences together to discuss issues and share related content. Pinterest/Instagram Pinterest and Instagram are perfect for visual and aspirational content, which has a longer lifetime value and a higher conversion rate. Being a manufacturer, you can still leverage these platforms by posting beautiful visuals of products. This way, you can give your brand a human face. Also, promote your employees with behind-the-scenes photos and videos of them in action. All of these will give your followers as well as visitors a backstage pass to your operations. These social media manufacturing tips will lead you to gain more business opportunities in the future. Podcasts Lastly, with podcasts, you can dig into the growing popularity of audio format and leverage potential customers and visitors with a high share of voice, uncluttered ad space, and niche audiences. Podcasts are getting a huge amount of visitors these days. Due to this, it is becoming a crucial b2b social media marketing strategy among manufacturers worldwide. Where to Start? Building a relevant presence on these social media platforms from scratch can be very overwhelming. Another element to consider incorporating social media platforms into your new strategy for marketing is enlisting influencers. Yes, you heard it right. Influencers can give your company/brand an extra boost. And all these platforms accommodate influencers who excel at creating value. With so many companies going online and having an active social media presence, you may feel pressured to join in and keep pace. The best move can be to build a relevant profile on Twitter and LinkedIn. In fact, it's wiser to focus your efforts on YouTube at the same time as they are proven to earn results for B2B marketers. Creating an informative and detailed page of your company can lead you to gain social media's tremendous benefits for manufacturing-related business. Frequently Asked Questions What are the benefits of using social media platforms for manufacturers? The benefits of using social media platforms for manufacturers are— • Get improved search engine rankings • Get more brand authority • Get higher conversation rates • Increased brand awareness • Better customer satisfaction • Cost-effectiveness How can manufacturing businesses make money using social media platforms? A manufacturing business can earn a good amount of money by creating a successful brand name, developing trusted customer relationships, and even creating sales opportunities directly from different social platforms. What is the best way of using social media for manufactures? Manufacturers can use social media in the best ways by giving information about the company, its events, and knowledge about its services. Give regular updates, use creative paths to engage audiences/visitors, keep content fresh and interesting so that it holds their attention. { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [{ "@type": "Question", "name": "WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS FOR MANUFACTURERS?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The benefits of using social media platforms for manufacturers are— Get improved search engine rankings Get more brand authority Get higher conversation rates Increased brand awareness Better customer satisfaction Cost-effectiveness" } },{ "@type": "Question", "name": "HOW CAN MANUFACTURING BUSINESSES MAKE MONEY USING SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "A manufacturing business can earn a good amount of money by creating a successful brand name, developing trusted customer relationships, and even creating sales opportunities directly from different social platforms." } },{ "@type": "Question", "name": "WHAT IS THE BEST WAY OF USING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR MANUFACTURES?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Manufacturers can use social media in the best ways by giving information about the company, its events, and knowledge about its services. Give regular updates, use creative paths to engage audiences/visitors, keep content fresh and interesting so that it holds their attention." } }] }

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Spotlight

ARRK Product Development Group

ARRK is one of the world’s largest product development specialists. ARRK’s origins date back to 1948 in Osaka, Japan and it’s evolution into a global leader of product development. Over time the business has grown through a process of acquisitions and mergers resulting in an organization today that has companies strategically located around the world.

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MaxLinear Launches Product Design Kit for Active Electrical Cables Using Keystone PAM4 DSP

MaxLinear | February 02, 2024

MaxLinear, Inc. a leading provider of high-speed interconnect ICs enabling data center, metro, and wireless transport networks, announced the availability of a comprehensive product design kit (PDK) to optimize performance and accelerate the time to market for high-speed Active Electrical Cables (AEC) using MaxLinear’s 5nm PAM4 DSP, Keystone. The PDK is a cost-cutting and time-saving tool for cable manufacturers who want to quickly integrate Keystone into their active electrical cables. MaxLinear’s Keystone PAM4 DSP offers a significant power advantage in AEC applications, which is increasingly becoming a critical factor for hyperscale data centers. The use of 5nm CMOS technology enables designers and manufacturers to build high-speed cables that meet the need for low power, highly integrated, high performance interconnect solutions that will drive the next generation of hyperscale cloud networks. Manufacturers taking advantage of MaxLinear’s PDK to optimize cable designs using Keystone PAM4 DSP will gain a distinct advantage over competitor solutions when trying to maximize reach and minimize power consumption. The PDK makes Keystone easy to integrate with strong applications support, multiple tools to optimize and monitor performance, and reference designs (SW and HW) to accelerate integration. Sophisticated software allows for quick design optimization for the lowest possible power consumption and maximizing cable reach. Cable designers can constantly monitor performance, route signals from any port to any port, and take advantage of hitless firmware upgrades. “MaxLinear is focused on providing not only industry-leading interconnect technologies but also a comprehensive suite of tools to support our manufacturing and design partners,” said Drew Guckenberger, Vice President of High Speed Interconnect at MaxLinear. “Our development kit for our Keystone products provides them with a path to take products to market more quickly and more cost-effectively.” Active electrical cables (AECs) are revolutionizing data center connections. Unlike passive cables, they actively boost signals, allowing for longer distances (up to 7 meters for 400G), higher bandwidth, and thinner, lighter cables. This makes them ideal for high-speed applications like top-of-rack connections (connecting switches to servers within the same rack); direct digital control (enabling flexible interconnectivity within racks and across rows); and breakout solutions (splitting high-speed connections into multiple lower-speed channels). The high-speed interconnect market – which includes active optical cables, active electrical cables, direct attach copper cables, and others – is expected to grow to $17.1B by 2028, up from $10.7B in 2021 according to a market forecast report from The Insight Partners. The Keystone Family The Keystone 5nm DSP family caters to 400G and 800G applications, featuring a groundbreaking 106.25Gbps host side electrical I/O, aligning with the line side interface rate. Available variants support single-mode optics (EML and SiPh), multimode optics and Active Electrical Cables (AECs), offering comprehensive solutions with companion TIAs. Host side interfaces cover ethernet rates of 25G, 50G, and 100G per lane over C2M, MR, and LR host channels. The line side interfaces, tailored for 100G/λ DR, FR, and LR applications, also support these rates. These devices boast extensive DSP functionality, encompassing line-side transmitter DPD, TX FIR, receiver FFE, and DFE. With exceptional performance and signal integrity, these DSPs occupy a compact footprint (12mm x 13mm), ideal for next-gen module form-factors like QSFP-DD800 and OSFP800. Additionally, they are available as Known Good Die (KGD) for denser applications, such as OSFP-XD. About MaxLinear, Inc. MaxLinear, Inc. is a leading provider of radio frequency (RF), analog, digital, and mixed-signal integrated circuits for access and connectivity, wired and wireless infrastructure, and industrial and multimarket applications. MaxLinear is headquartered in Carlsbad, California. MaxLinear, the MaxLinear logo, any other MaxLinear trademarks are all property of MaxLinear, Inc. or one of MaxLinear's subsidiaries in the U.S.A. and other countries. All rights reserved.

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Smart Factory

PsiQuantum, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and Mitsubishi Chemical Announce Partnership to Design Energy-Efficient Materials on PsiQuantum’s

PsiQuantum | January 30, 2024

PsiQuantum and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group announced that they are beginning work with Mitsubishi Chemical Group on a joint project to simulate excited states of photochromic molecules which have widespread industrial and residential potential applications such as the development of smart windows, energy-efficient data storage, solar energy storage and solar cells, and other photoswitching use cases. Qlimate, a PsiQuantum-led initiative that includes MUFG as a partner, focuses on using fault-tolerant quantum computing to crack the most challenging computational problems and accelerate the development of scalable breakthroughs across climate technologies, including more energy-efficient materials. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) is committed to supporting the world’s transition to a sustainable future, and to encourage industry access to the most promising breakthrough technologies. By pioneering PsiQuantum’s Qlimate solutions with industry leader Mitsubishi Chemical, MUFG is at the forefront of quantum computing for sustainability. This joint project will determine whether high-accuracy estimates of excited state properties are feasible on early-generation fault-tolerant quantum computers, specifically focusing on diarylethenes used for energy-efficient photoswitching applications. The project will allow Mitsubishi Chemical to gain early insights into how and when fault-tolerant quantum computing can be deployed in support of critical, scalable, sustainable materials. Because predicting the optical properties of materials requires complex analysis of excited states, standard algorithmic techniques for simulating these molecules (such as the Density Functional Theory, or DFT) often produce qualitatively incorrect results. The project will bring together Mitsubishi Chemical’s deep experience of computational chemistry and PsiQuantum’s leading expertise in fault-tolerant quantum computing to push the boundaries of approaching the complex physics in these systems and pave the way to developing new, more powerful energy-efficient photonic materials. Philipp Ernst, Head of Solutions at PsiQuantum, said: “PsiQuantum has dedicated teams who identify, describe and solve complex problem sets with best-in-class quantum algorithms. These are designed specifically to run on fault-tolerant quantum computers and will tackle previously-impossible computational challenges. This partnership will leverage our team’s unique know-how and Mitsubishi Chemical’s expertise in photochromic materials. We are grateful for MUFG’s visionary support in our mission to deploy high-impact quantum computing solutions to fight climate change.” Suguru Azegami, Managing Director, Sustainable Business Division, MUFG said: “We are excited to partner with PsiQuantum and Mitsubishi Chemical on our journey to explore possibilities of quantum computing technologies to solve the imminent global challenge. PsiQuantum’s vision to develop the first utility scale quantum computer before the end of the decade has inspired us, which led our initiative to participate in the Qlimate partnership as the first and sole member from Japan. Mitsubishi Chemical is leading efforts to use the cutting-edge technology to develop next generation materials and we are honored to support the company as its long term financial partner.” Qi Gao, Senior Chief Scientist, Mitsubishi Chemical said: “We are pleased to be part of the partnership and are grateful for MUFG’s support. Mitsubishi Chemical’s over 40 years background in computational chemistry and PsiQuantum’s domain specific knowledge for quantum control is a great fit with the collaboration effort of improving calculation accuracy on quantum device. We hope the partnership will accelerate the innovation of revolutionizing computational studies in chemistry and materials science.” About PsiQuantum PsiQuantum is a private company, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Palo Alto, California. The company’s only mission is to build and deploy the world’s first useful, large-scale quantum computer. Many teams around the world today have demonstrated prototype quantum computing systems, but it is widely accepted that much larger systems are necessary in order to unlock transformational applications across drug discovery, climate technologies, finance, transportation, security & defense and beyond. PsiQuantum’s photonic approach enables rapid scaling via direct leverage of high-volume semiconductor manufacturing and cryogenic infrastructure. The company is partnered with the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford University and Sci-Tech Daresbury in the United Kingdom. About Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG) Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG) is one of the world’s leading financial groups. Headquartered in Tokyo and with over 360 years of history, MUFG has a global network with approximately 2,000 locations in more than 50 countries. The Group has about 160,000 employees and offers services including commercial banking, trust banking, securities, credit cards, consumer finance, asset management, and leasing. The Group aims to “be the world’s most trusted financial group” through close collaboration among our operating companies and flexibly respond to all of the financial needs of our customers, serving society, and fostering shared and sustainable growth for a better world. MUFG’s shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York stock exchanges. About the Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation (TSE: 4188) is a specialty materials group with an unwavering commitment to lead with innovative solutions to achieve KAITEKI, the well-being of people and the planet. We bring deep expertise and material science leadership in core market segments such as mobility, digital, medical and food. In this way, we enable industry transformation, technology breakthroughs, and longer, more fruitful lives for us all. Together, around 70,000 employees worldwide provide advanced chemistry-based solutions to deliver the core elements of our slogan — “Science. Value. Life.”

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Teledyne Relays Unveils Innovative Multi-Function Timer Series

Teledyne Relays, Inc. | January 29, 2024

Teledyne Relays, a leading provider of cutting-edge relay solutions, introduces its new Multi-Function Timer product series, showcasing the company's commitment to delivering advanced, reliable, and versatile solutions for the industrial automation sector. Teledyne Relays Multi-Function Timer MFT series is a state-of-the-art solution designed for a wide variety of applications that demand precise timing control. The user-friendly design features three potentiometers for easy selection of timing functions and ranges, while the LEDs provide at-a-glance feedback of timing and relay status. The MFT series also features 7 selectable timing functions for a wide variety of applications Timing ranges from 0.1 seconds up to 100 hours Compact 17.5mm housing preserves valuable panel space Supply Voltages: 24VDC & 24-240VAC OR 12-240VAC/DC 5A SPDT output relay Engineered with the needs of electrical engineers, panel builders, and automation engineers in mind, these timers find application in various industries, including but not limited to Industrial Automation Manufacturing Process Control Systems HVAC and Refrigeration Agriculture and Irrigation Power Distribution “With the new Multi-Function Timer series, Teledyne Relays continues to lead in providing reliable and versatile solutions for industrial automation, ensuring precise timing control,” said Michael Palakian, Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing at Teledyne Relays. The Multi-Function Timer series from Teledyne Relays ensures precise timing control, offering unparalleled reliability across diverse applications and is available for ordering from Teledyne Relays or an authorized distributor. About Teledyne Relays Teledyne Relays is a world leader in high-performance coaxial switches, electromechanical, and solid-state relays, offering a wide range of solutions for various applications in the aerospace and defense, telecommunications, test and measurement, and industrial markets. With over 60 years of experience, Teledyne Relay has established a reputation for quality, reliability, and customer service excellence. About Teledyne Defense Electronics Serving Defense, Space and Commercial sectors worldwide, Teledyne Defense Electronics offers a comprehensive portfolio of highly engineered solutions that meet your most demanding requirements in the harshest environments. Manufacturing both custom and off-the-shelf product offerings, our diverse product lines meet emerging needs for key applications for avionics, energetics, electronic warfare, missiles, radar, satcom, space and test and measurement.

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Manufacturing Technology

MaxLinear Launches Product Design Kit for Active Electrical Cables Using Keystone PAM4 DSP

MaxLinear | February 02, 2024

MaxLinear, Inc. a leading provider of high-speed interconnect ICs enabling data center, metro, and wireless transport networks, announced the availability of a comprehensive product design kit (PDK) to optimize performance and accelerate the time to market for high-speed Active Electrical Cables (AEC) using MaxLinear’s 5nm PAM4 DSP, Keystone. The PDK is a cost-cutting and time-saving tool for cable manufacturers who want to quickly integrate Keystone into their active electrical cables. MaxLinear’s Keystone PAM4 DSP offers a significant power advantage in AEC applications, which is increasingly becoming a critical factor for hyperscale data centers. The use of 5nm CMOS technology enables designers and manufacturers to build high-speed cables that meet the need for low power, highly integrated, high performance interconnect solutions that will drive the next generation of hyperscale cloud networks. Manufacturers taking advantage of MaxLinear’s PDK to optimize cable designs using Keystone PAM4 DSP will gain a distinct advantage over competitor solutions when trying to maximize reach and minimize power consumption. The PDK makes Keystone easy to integrate with strong applications support, multiple tools to optimize and monitor performance, and reference designs (SW and HW) to accelerate integration. Sophisticated software allows for quick design optimization for the lowest possible power consumption and maximizing cable reach. Cable designers can constantly monitor performance, route signals from any port to any port, and take advantage of hitless firmware upgrades. “MaxLinear is focused on providing not only industry-leading interconnect technologies but also a comprehensive suite of tools to support our manufacturing and design partners,” said Drew Guckenberger, Vice President of High Speed Interconnect at MaxLinear. “Our development kit for our Keystone products provides them with a path to take products to market more quickly and more cost-effectively.” Active electrical cables (AECs) are revolutionizing data center connections. Unlike passive cables, they actively boost signals, allowing for longer distances (up to 7 meters for 400G), higher bandwidth, and thinner, lighter cables. This makes them ideal for high-speed applications like top-of-rack connections (connecting switches to servers within the same rack); direct digital control (enabling flexible interconnectivity within racks and across rows); and breakout solutions (splitting high-speed connections into multiple lower-speed channels). The high-speed interconnect market – which includes active optical cables, active electrical cables, direct attach copper cables, and others – is expected to grow to $17.1B by 2028, up from $10.7B in 2021 according to a market forecast report from The Insight Partners. The Keystone Family The Keystone 5nm DSP family caters to 400G and 800G applications, featuring a groundbreaking 106.25Gbps host side electrical I/O, aligning with the line side interface rate. Available variants support single-mode optics (EML and SiPh), multimode optics and Active Electrical Cables (AECs), offering comprehensive solutions with companion TIAs. Host side interfaces cover ethernet rates of 25G, 50G, and 100G per lane over C2M, MR, and LR host channels. The line side interfaces, tailored for 100G/λ DR, FR, and LR applications, also support these rates. These devices boast extensive DSP functionality, encompassing line-side transmitter DPD, TX FIR, receiver FFE, and DFE. With exceptional performance and signal integrity, these DSPs occupy a compact footprint (12mm x 13mm), ideal for next-gen module form-factors like QSFP-DD800 and OSFP800. Additionally, they are available as Known Good Die (KGD) for denser applications, such as OSFP-XD. About MaxLinear, Inc. MaxLinear, Inc. is a leading provider of radio frequency (RF), analog, digital, and mixed-signal integrated circuits for access and connectivity, wired and wireless infrastructure, and industrial and multimarket applications. MaxLinear is headquartered in Carlsbad, California. MaxLinear, the MaxLinear logo, any other MaxLinear trademarks are all property of MaxLinear, Inc. or one of MaxLinear's subsidiaries in the U.S.A. and other countries. All rights reserved.

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Smart Factory

PsiQuantum, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and Mitsubishi Chemical Announce Partnership to Design Energy-Efficient Materials on PsiQuantum’s

PsiQuantum | January 30, 2024

PsiQuantum and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group announced that they are beginning work with Mitsubishi Chemical Group on a joint project to simulate excited states of photochromic molecules which have widespread industrial and residential potential applications such as the development of smart windows, energy-efficient data storage, solar energy storage and solar cells, and other photoswitching use cases. Qlimate, a PsiQuantum-led initiative that includes MUFG as a partner, focuses on using fault-tolerant quantum computing to crack the most challenging computational problems and accelerate the development of scalable breakthroughs across climate technologies, including more energy-efficient materials. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) is committed to supporting the world’s transition to a sustainable future, and to encourage industry access to the most promising breakthrough technologies. By pioneering PsiQuantum’s Qlimate solutions with industry leader Mitsubishi Chemical, MUFG is at the forefront of quantum computing for sustainability. This joint project will determine whether high-accuracy estimates of excited state properties are feasible on early-generation fault-tolerant quantum computers, specifically focusing on diarylethenes used for energy-efficient photoswitching applications. The project will allow Mitsubishi Chemical to gain early insights into how and when fault-tolerant quantum computing can be deployed in support of critical, scalable, sustainable materials. Because predicting the optical properties of materials requires complex analysis of excited states, standard algorithmic techniques for simulating these molecules (such as the Density Functional Theory, or DFT) often produce qualitatively incorrect results. The project will bring together Mitsubishi Chemical’s deep experience of computational chemistry and PsiQuantum’s leading expertise in fault-tolerant quantum computing to push the boundaries of approaching the complex physics in these systems and pave the way to developing new, more powerful energy-efficient photonic materials. Philipp Ernst, Head of Solutions at PsiQuantum, said: “PsiQuantum has dedicated teams who identify, describe and solve complex problem sets with best-in-class quantum algorithms. These are designed specifically to run on fault-tolerant quantum computers and will tackle previously-impossible computational challenges. This partnership will leverage our team’s unique know-how and Mitsubishi Chemical’s expertise in photochromic materials. We are grateful for MUFG’s visionary support in our mission to deploy high-impact quantum computing solutions to fight climate change.” Suguru Azegami, Managing Director, Sustainable Business Division, MUFG said: “We are excited to partner with PsiQuantum and Mitsubishi Chemical on our journey to explore possibilities of quantum computing technologies to solve the imminent global challenge. PsiQuantum’s vision to develop the first utility scale quantum computer before the end of the decade has inspired us, which led our initiative to participate in the Qlimate partnership as the first and sole member from Japan. Mitsubishi Chemical is leading efforts to use the cutting-edge technology to develop next generation materials and we are honored to support the company as its long term financial partner.” Qi Gao, Senior Chief Scientist, Mitsubishi Chemical said: “We are pleased to be part of the partnership and are grateful for MUFG’s support. Mitsubishi Chemical’s over 40 years background in computational chemistry and PsiQuantum’s domain specific knowledge for quantum control is a great fit with the collaboration effort of improving calculation accuracy on quantum device. We hope the partnership will accelerate the innovation of revolutionizing computational studies in chemistry and materials science.” About PsiQuantum PsiQuantum is a private company, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Palo Alto, California. The company’s only mission is to build and deploy the world’s first useful, large-scale quantum computer. Many teams around the world today have demonstrated prototype quantum computing systems, but it is widely accepted that much larger systems are necessary in order to unlock transformational applications across drug discovery, climate technologies, finance, transportation, security & defense and beyond. PsiQuantum’s photonic approach enables rapid scaling via direct leverage of high-volume semiconductor manufacturing and cryogenic infrastructure. The company is partnered with the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford University and Sci-Tech Daresbury in the United Kingdom. About Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG) Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG) is one of the world’s leading financial groups. Headquartered in Tokyo and with over 360 years of history, MUFG has a global network with approximately 2,000 locations in more than 50 countries. The Group has about 160,000 employees and offers services including commercial banking, trust banking, securities, credit cards, consumer finance, asset management, and leasing. The Group aims to “be the world’s most trusted financial group” through close collaboration among our operating companies and flexibly respond to all of the financial needs of our customers, serving society, and fostering shared and sustainable growth for a better world. MUFG’s shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York stock exchanges. About the Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation (TSE: 4188) is a specialty materials group with an unwavering commitment to lead with innovative solutions to achieve KAITEKI, the well-being of people and the planet. We bring deep expertise and material science leadership in core market segments such as mobility, digital, medical and food. In this way, we enable industry transformation, technology breakthroughs, and longer, more fruitful lives for us all. Together, around 70,000 employees worldwide provide advanced chemistry-based solutions to deliver the core elements of our slogan — “Science. Value. Life.”

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Additive Manufacturing

Teledyne Relays Unveils Innovative Multi-Function Timer Series

Teledyne Relays, Inc. | January 29, 2024

Teledyne Relays, a leading provider of cutting-edge relay solutions, introduces its new Multi-Function Timer product series, showcasing the company's commitment to delivering advanced, reliable, and versatile solutions for the industrial automation sector. Teledyne Relays Multi-Function Timer MFT series is a state-of-the-art solution designed for a wide variety of applications that demand precise timing control. The user-friendly design features three potentiometers for easy selection of timing functions and ranges, while the LEDs provide at-a-glance feedback of timing and relay status. The MFT series also features 7 selectable timing functions for a wide variety of applications Timing ranges from 0.1 seconds up to 100 hours Compact 17.5mm housing preserves valuable panel space Supply Voltages: 24VDC & 24-240VAC OR 12-240VAC/DC 5A SPDT output relay Engineered with the needs of electrical engineers, panel builders, and automation engineers in mind, these timers find application in various industries, including but not limited to Industrial Automation Manufacturing Process Control Systems HVAC and Refrigeration Agriculture and Irrigation Power Distribution “With the new Multi-Function Timer series, Teledyne Relays continues to lead in providing reliable and versatile solutions for industrial automation, ensuring precise timing control,” said Michael Palakian, Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing at Teledyne Relays. The Multi-Function Timer series from Teledyne Relays ensures precise timing control, offering unparalleled reliability across diverse applications and is available for ordering from Teledyne Relays or an authorized distributor. About Teledyne Relays Teledyne Relays is a world leader in high-performance coaxial switches, electromechanical, and solid-state relays, offering a wide range of solutions for various applications in the aerospace and defense, telecommunications, test and measurement, and industrial markets. With over 60 years of experience, Teledyne Relay has established a reputation for quality, reliability, and customer service excellence. About Teledyne Defense Electronics Serving Defense, Space and Commercial sectors worldwide, Teledyne Defense Electronics offers a comprehensive portfolio of highly engineered solutions that meet your most demanding requirements in the harshest environments. Manufacturing both custom and off-the-shelf product offerings, our diverse product lines meet emerging needs for key applications for avionics, energetics, electronic warfare, missiles, radar, satcom, space and test and measurement.

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